The 4 Toxins in Chewing Gum And The One Type of Gum You Should Chew Forever

Salivating Memories

We all love to chew gum!  Images from your childhood fill your mind.  Gnawing on Big League Chew at the park, crunching down on Blow Pops at school, blowing bubbles aimlessly on a boring afternoon, surreptitiously popping in gum prior to a big kiss.  No doubt, chewing a fresh piece of gum is a simple delight!  But with many a simple pleasure, a certain care and discretion must be taken.  Today we will cover some of the booby traps of commercially-sold gum, in particular the 4 toxins in chewing gum.  And of course, given it’s commercially-sold gum, there will be a lot of traps!

{Read our article on natural ways to freshen your breath.}

History of Gum

People have been smacking their gum since ancient times.  Various civilizations chewed a crude sap of various trees local to their region.  Perhaps the most famous one was “chicle” chewed by Mesoamerican Indians.)  The first commercially sold gum in America originated in the mid-19th century.  Since then the base ingredients have not changed much: gum base, a sweetener, and a small source of an emulsive agent to keep it enmeshed together.  The large difference in the last 70 years has been the ratio between the gum and sweetener.  Whereas the former used to be higher in the past, the latter is now 50% of gum’s ingredients.  Sugar abounds!

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Problems with Gum

Most commercially-sold gum may be tasty and fun to chew.  Unfortunately, most boasts a variety of problems. Let’s cover the 4 toxins in chewing gum.

Gum Base

The USDA has approved both natural and synthetic sources for the gum base.  However, due to price most manufacturers use the synthetic ones (e.g. paraffin or petroleum wax). One of the sources used for the base is vinyl acetate, is possibly a carcinogen, so much to the point that both Canada and the E.U. are considering banning it.  To make matters worse vinyl acetate is hidden in the code word “gum base” so it impossible to know if your gum contains it.  Fortunately the remainder of bases for gum base are relatively benign.

Sweetener

The bigger problem lies in what is sweetening the gum.  Older varieties of gum used cane sugar.  The literature behind the effects of sugar on dental health is quite damning.  Sugar accelerates the growth of pathogenic or “bad” bacteria, which produce lactic acid which leads to cavities, gingivitis, and overall periodontal disease.  Believe it or not oral health is directly connected to heart disease so a health mouth may lead to a healthy heart.

As a way minimize the toxic effect of sugar, gum manufacturers put artificial sweeteners in them.  In fact, today, about 90% of gum available in the U.S. contains no sugar in it.  Most feature an artificial sweetener, such as aspartame or acesulfame potassium, and a sugar substitute like mannitol or sorbitol.  We, here at Naturopathic Earth, have spent some time both in the podcasts and articles detailing the issues with aspartame.  (For a quick primer, read this article.)  In short, it is best to be avoided at all costs.

Flavors & Colors

Many gums contain food dyes and artificial flavors to give it is “Tropical Fruit” or “Strawberry-Banana Flavor.”  Food dyes have a notorious history of causing cancer and behavioral problems.  (Please read our article on food dyes.)

Artificial flavors are a little better.  Unlike “natural flavors,” artificial flavors are chemically-derived additives put in the food for flavor, texture, or color. In most cases these flavors are closely-held company secret formulas (think of Dr. Pepper or KFC).  The FDA does not require the disclosing of the actual ingredients in the formula so long as the artificial flavor is classified by them as “generally regarded as safe” (or GRAS).  However, independent studies have shown that artificial flavors may cause migraines, allergic reactions, heart palpitations, and nervous system damage.

We simply don’t know what is in them and so long as many people do not complain about the side-effects they might engender, the FDA is in no hurry to remove them.  Remember that chemical and food companies spend billions of lobbying government officials to essentially “bribe” them into maintaining the status quo.  Not to mention the “revolving door” between high-level food and drug executives and their appointment as high-level officers in the FDA and USDA.  Conflict of interest anyone?  Needless to say, we get very little oversight and protection from both the FDA and USDA.

{Read our article on vegetable oils and why you should not use them.}

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Xylitol to the Rescue

In short, today’s gum is toxic crap.  The only saving grace…the only type of gum you should consider using is xylitol-sweetened gum.  Xylitol is a sugar-substitute that has a proven record of IMPROVING oral health.  Those ingesting between 4-10 grams of xylitol reduced their likelihood of getting plaque and cavities.  It is quite difficult to find xylitol-sweetened gum at your typical grocery store.  You need to search at your alternative health store, Whole Foods, or buy online.   Here are some you can purchase online:

• Spry Xylitol Gum, Spearmint Flavor
• Epic Xylitol Gum, Peppermint Flavor
• PUR Gum, Aspartame-Free

Moreover, most makers of these types of “organic” gum do not use food dyes or artificial flavors so chew away!  But don’t chew it incessantly like Violet Beauregard from the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.  You don’t want to swell up into a blueberry!  (Though to be fair, if you must become a fruit, why not become a superfood one!

Takeaway

Trident, Wrigley’s, Orbit and other brands are now putting xylitol in their gum.  But don’t be deceived, for they still lace their gums with acesulfame potassium, aspartame, dyes, and chemical flavorings.   They know people are becoming more aware of gum toxicity so they put in the xylitol, yet fail to remove the true insidious ingredients.  They make the assumption that we, consumers, are too ignorant to know any better.

To be completely honest, chewing gum is a complete sham!  Like so many things, we have been indoctrinated since childhood to think it is normal and good for you.  Aside from xylitol, the benefit of chewing gum does not come from the gum per se, but rather the stimulation of saliva.  Saliva cleans your teeth naturally, promotes probiotic preponderance in the mouth, lessens bad breath, and promotes better digestion. So:

1. Swish saliva throughout the day.  It is free and easy to make!
2. Chew “organic” xylitol-based gum.
3. If you must chew gum that is not xylitol-based opt for the sugar-laden ones over the artificial sweetened.  Good luck finding those! Aside from Mexican chicle, it is very difficult to find some.  But honestly avoid both.

So the next time you need to freshen your breath before a big kiss, ask to tie your shoelaces, bend over and swish some saliva.  You can use that saved money to share a dessert.  (Of course, swish saliva immediately afterwards!)

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A. Gregory Luna, double-certified Health Consultant.  Hire me now to help optimize your health!

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